Shia board chief meets Sri Sri, backs Ram temple

Lucknow: Amid reports of mediation talks by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the Ayodhya issue, UP Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi met the Art of Living founder in Bengaluru on Tuesday and apprised him of the board’s stand that a Ram temple should be built at the site.

“I met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and apprised him of the (Shia) board’s stand that a Ram temple should be constructed at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. I have met all seers and mahants contesting the case for the construction of a temple in court. All of them are ready for talks,” Mr Rizvi told PTI over the phone.

The Shia Waqf Board is drafting the terms and conditions of a mutual agreement, he said.“The Shia Central Wakf Board does not want any mosque to be constructed at Ram’s birthplace. Instead it should be constructed elsewhere in a Muslim populated area,” he said.

Mr Rizvi said that the number of mosques in Ayodhya were sufficient for the Muslims residing there. There is no need for a new mosque, he said. He claimed that those demanding the construction of a mosque at Ram’s birthplace, or near it, only wanted to linger the dispute.

“The demolished mosque belonged to the Shia Waqf and the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has no right to decide on it. Only the Shia board has the right to decide,” Mr Rizvi claimed. I have conveyed my in-tentions to Ravi Shank-ar, he said, adding that the initiative would stre-ngthen Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.